Sharks edge Avalanche in shootout

San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau each
scored in the shootout and Antti Niemi turned away both Colorado shooters to
send the San Jose Sharks to a 5-4 victory over the Avalanche on Monday at SAP
Center.

San Jose led 3-2 with just under two minutes left in regulation before Erik
Johnson and Jamie McGinn lit the lamp 12 seconds apart to put the Avalanche
on top.

However, Joe Pavelski tied the game with 19.6 seconds remaining in regulation
to force an extra session, and despite failing on a power-play chance in
overtime, the Sharks were able to escape with two points.

Brent Burns notched a goal and two assists, Matt Irwin added a goal and a
helper, and Jason Demers donated his second goal of the season for the Sharks,
who improved to 11-0-4 over their last 15 games against the Avalanche.

Niemi backstopped the victory with 29 saves.

Johnson tallied a goal and an assist, while McGinn, Nathan MacKinnon and
Gabriel Landeskog each scored once for Colorado, which has lost two straight
and six of its last nine games.

Semyon Varlamov turned aside 41 shots in the setback.

With Colorado trailing by a goal and just under two minutes remaining in the
third, Johnson blasted a one-timer from the right point that snuck through
Niemi's five-hole to tie the tilt at 18:09.

After the Avs won the ensuing faceoff, John Mitchell won a race to the puck
along the left midboards and threw a shot on net that McGinn tipped past Niemi
for a 4-3 lead at 18:21.

Pavelski pulled the Sharks even with just under 20 seconds left in regulation
when he buried a one-timer from in front off a nice behind-the-net feed from
Joe Thornton.

Early on, MacKinnon and Demers exchanged power-play markers just past the
midpoint of the first to keep the game tied before Landeskog lit the lamp with
49 seconds left in the frame to give Colorado a 2-1 lead.

However, the Sharks struck twice in the second to take a one-goal lead, with
Burns notching his 10th of the season at 5:53 before Irwin potted a power-play
tally at 13:02 to make it 3-2 in favor of San Jose.

Game Notes

The Avs have lost 11 straight in San Jose, with their last win coming on Feb.
6, 2008 ... Colorado's last regulation win against San Jose came on Oct. 1,
2009 ... San Jose posted back-to-back wins for the first time since a six-game
run from Nov.21-Dec. 3 ... Thornton logged three assists for San Jose ...
Colorado's Ryan O'Reilly registered two helpers.